A Touch of Class
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A Touch of Class
Shabby Remakes, set to open March 15th
By Shane Gilreath
Like the magic of a spring along the Champs-Elysees, there’s a real touch of class in Oneida’s newest shop, but it’s taken hard work and a little elbow grease to arrive on Alberta Street. Shabby Remakes, set to open March 15th, offers locals a chance at literal re-design, where the owner, Teresa Cook, strives to bring style and taste to vivid life. When the shop opens its doors, Scott County will be treated to a fashionable venture that cultivates timeless classics and offers exceptional touches of craftsmanship, many of them created by the hands of its owner.
As the store incorporates refurbished vintage pieces, the adage “everything that’s old is new again” may well ring true. “My favorite looks,” Cook said, “are to take chippy and rust and vintage and make it new.” To create the display of home goods, reminiscent of high end finds to traditional Pottery Barn appeal, Cook purchases well-used items and redesigns them herself, giving them new life before stocking them beside a variety of other goods: home décor, candles, florals, jewelry, clothes, purses, and more fill the shop with the look and feel of beautiful designs that combine modernity with historic farmhouse trends.
“My customer base is anywhere from young to old,” admitted Cook, who loves to create one-of-a-kind pieces for her customers and is often aided, if only playfully, by her grandchildren. Cook teases that it’s her goal to have paintbrushes in their hands before long, making them full-fledged partners in the re-design business, and smiles as she revels in stories of the grandson who has been “helping” move furniture since he was only four.
“My husband is my biggest supporter,” Cook said, of the family-oriented business that she’s cultivating. Cook admits that being from a large family has helped. “Every one of my siblings has a part in the business, whether finding items for me, to building items, to working in the store. I could not make it without their support.”
Cook’s success story is a real inspiration – showcasing how one can start small and grow – setting an example of how hard work can pay off. She first started a business in her garage in 2011, carefully buying and cultivating pieces for customers (she still offers commissioned pieces) before moving to a booth rental in Cookeville and then Historic Downtown Clinton before finally making the journey back home to Oneida. She acknowledges that, despite being away, her hometown has long been a part of her success.
“I’ve been servicing Scott County since the beginning,” she said. “I’d load my car down and deliver items back here.”
Shabby Remakes is located at 20297 Alberta Street, Oneida. “I’m just glad to be back home and in my hometown” Cook said. “There’s something for everyone at Shabby Remakes.” For lovers of home decor, it’s sure to be true, as Cook painstakingly merges the old and new with creative elements that Scott County already holds dear – a family friendly atmosphere where creativity is in full bloom.
